Student Research

The UNM College of Nursing's undergraduate and graduate education programs are highly ranked by U.S. News and World Report. We provide the foundation for our graduates to provide compassionate, evidence-based care at the local, state and national level, and to contribute to the scientific base of nursing. We are here to grow the next generation of nursing scientists. 

Working with our primary clinical partner, UNM Health System, we offer complex hands-on learning experiences at a variety of excellent facilities, including:

These nationally-recognized facilities also provide opportunities for clinical research and collaboration with health care practitioners and scientists from every sector of the medical arena.

Undergraduate Participation in Research

Honors students at the undergraduate level actively engage in the various aspects of research to improve nursing outcomes and patient care.

Over the course of four terms, students will develop research or evidence-based practice questions and gather data through literature reviews and key informant interviews. In conjunction with their faculty mentor, honors students design interventions based on assessments of patient care processes and delivery care systems. These projects often lead to quality improvement initiatives. 

Students share their final projects through College of Nursing poster presentations and at regional conferences. Examples of research topics include nutritional intake in cancer patients, health literacy in refugees, pediatric surgery, medication errors and more.

Explore the Pre-licensure BSN Program

Graduate Research and Scholarship

PhD Students

Under faculty guidance, PhD students conduct independent research culminating in a dissertation. Along the way, they develop research expertise relative to a specific population, setting, or human response to health or illness. Research foci generally align with faculty areas of expertise. This prepares graduate students to enter the tenure track or work in the health care industry as a nurse scientist.

PhD students are encouraged to publish peer-reviewed articles and present their research at professional conferences.

Explore the PhD Program

DNP Students

Doctor of Nursing Practice students complete a practice-oriented scholarly project. It involves the identification and resolution of a practice problem through the scholarship of application. This project requires practice inquiry and is grounded in a specific practice setting with a specific population.

Scholarly projects vary. Here are a few examples: 

• Evaluating patient education programming
• Ethical decision-making in nurse leaders
• Using electronic medical record systems to improve patient outcomes and practice quality improvements
• Enhancing screening, health and safety education and referrals for intimate partner violence by public health workers
• Improving executive leadership
• Evaluating health policy within a specific setting

Explore the DNP Program